Tag Archives: relic hunting

Post navigation

The reason why many detectorists seek out private property is because it is pristine land for treasure hunting. Beaches and parks are detected every day, but private property is virgin territory- never hunted before. This is a chance for you to find TRUE treasure and get your hooks into valuable finds!

Homesteads Dating Back to the 1700’s and 1800’s

If you check out YouTube videos posted by “Hooked on History,” you’ll see several detectorists unearthing amazing finds. They all talk about old private property and ask permission to hunt these areas. Typically, these are old homesteads in the rural Midwest dating back to the 1700’s and 1800’s. Most of the homes are no longer standing, but they have markers indicating where outhouses, dump sites and building foundations existed. In one video, “Treasure in the Ground Metal Detecting Private Property 2017,” father and son hobbyists were thrilled with their discoveries!

Finds on Private Property

The treasure-hunting duo from “Treasure in the Ground” found exceptional treasures. They hunted a house formerly standing in the late 1700’s and another former homestead from the late 1800’s. Finds included: foreign coins, a pewter spoon, a clock face piece with Roman numerals, a 1941 Mercury silver dime, and a 1943- S silver Washington quarter. It pays to ask permission!

Bruce Lilienthal, hit the jackpot. He found a large, unusual rock on his Minnesota farmland.

Metal detecting at pre-existing homesteads and old farmhouses is a GREAT tactic because old relics and coins lie here. What can you expect to find when you detect and dig an old farmland? Arrowheads, pottery shards, buttons, porcelain and metal thimbles, bits of colored glass and old ammunition or bullets. In 2013, amateur detectorist and producer, Bruce Lilienthal, hit the jackpot when he found a large, unusual rock on his Minnesota farmland. After testing and researching, he and his wife learned that it was a meteorite. They sold the rock for a modest $10.5 million! It pays to search farmland, for MANY different reasons.

Scout Out Large Trees around a Homestead’s Foundation

Farm “markers” are indicators that a farm pre-existed; they often include large trees. These trees have grown very large because nobody has cut them down. Always watch out for these markers because a favorable hunt site exists nearby. When you do find a “marker tree,” detect the area that immediately surrounds it. There are likely buried coins and relics hidden in the dirt! It was a common practice for people of past centuries to bury hoards of coins and valuables near marker trees. People intended to reclaim their possessions, but it often never happened. Now’s your chance to recover these precious items with your metal detector!

“The Marshall House” which was used by the British as a field hospital.

With warmer weather here (and better ground conditions), the thrill of treasure hunting beckons! If you’ve already hunted local parks, beaches and public venues in your neighborhood, it’s probably time for more advanced metal detecting. Over time, many detectorists start to realize that detecting on older private properties is where the REAL ACTION is! More old coins and excellent relics are found in private yards than anywhere else. This is largely due to the fact that few people (if any) have ever swung a metal detector on this territory. It’s important to know the history of your area before deciding where to hunt and what you’re searching for. Do you live in a region where the Civil War was fought or where the first colonies once were? If so, you’re in ideal relic hunting territory.

Politely Ask Permission to Hunt Someone’s Private Property

There are some favorable tactics for gaining permission to hunt on private property. And in an upcoming article, we will fill you in on some of these “best practices.” But in a nutshell, it helps to explain to the home or landowner something on the order of: “I live here in town and I’m a history buff. I appreciate older neighborhoods and properties such as this. My hobby is metal detecting, so I search for old relics in fields and old properties. If something is interesting, I’ll be sure to show you; then offer it to a local historical society.” When you DO obtain permission to hunt, here are some tips for relic hunting success:

Make sure you are good at plug cutting. You don’t want to tear up someone’s yard, field or farm!

Front yards were generally used a lot more than backyards. It’s best to detect the front before the backyard—specifically the paths to and from the doors of the house.

Look for locations of the old out buildings. This includes sheds, barns, outhouses and wells. The paths to those areas where high traffic, with great old coin potential.

Get under the front porch, if possible. Lots of coins, old toys and other objects have likely slipped through the cracks. This was also a popular place for burying treasure.

If there are sidewalks, check along the grass edges. Coins and small objects land next to sidewalks and in the cracks.

Search under old trees on the property. People congregated in shady spots, also stashing items near roots.

Pay attention to clusters of trees, especially if they are in a row. These were usually intentionally planted years ago; it’s a good hint to check that area.

When you are done with the property, be sure to thank the landowner. If you had lots of luck there, consider giving the property owner a token of your appreciation.

Silver Navajo Indian Bracelet with Coral Inlay found in New Mexico with a metal detector.

The BEST places to find relics and old coins are at pre-existing homesteads, old farmhouses and former soldiers’ camps or battle sites. Obviously, there are many more locations that will yield valuables and artifacts, but these are a few good examples. Metal detectorists always face the challenge of choosing sites that are already picked over. Don’t shy away from these locations, because it’s impossible that every relic and coin has already been recovered. However, if you really want to increase your chances of treasure hunting success, it’s a great idea to find virgin sites or those that are under-searched!

How to Scout Out an Untouched Metal Detecting Site

Detecting enthusiast and relic hunter, Brian Palmer, has a clever tip for interested hobbyists. Investigate for signs of old home sites. In colder months (in some states), it’s almost impossible to treasure hunt. But you can do online research and scan old maps. It’s much easier to scout out sites when the grass isn’t high—and you can also see further into the woods. Palmer and his wife scouted around in the winter and found a fallen tree along a stone wall where there were stones in the outline of a home’s foundation. When they came back to search the area, their detectors hit on a jackpot of treasure!

Popular Relic Finds with a Metal Detector

The Palmers’ finds at this former homestead in New York included five Civil War “Eagle buttons,” flat buttons, a knapsack hook and two 1863 Civil War tokens. These tokens were issued because coins were scarce during the Civil War, but they only circulated for one year. They are great pieces of history! On another hunt they scouted ahead of time, the Palmers’ uncovered a World War I German buckle from 1839, an 1840’s Federal Navy cuff button and an Indian Wars 1874 Pattern belt plate. These are all examples of items you can find when relic hunting. Keep looking for new places to search and/or ask for permission if necessary. You, too, will come across some amazing relics!

Learn to read the soil and find more treasures with deep seeking detectors such as the Garrett GTI 2500 with Depth Multiplier.

Did you know that you can learn how to “read the soil” you’re digging in to determine if there is treasure below? Treasure hunter Bill Gallagher explains in Lost TreasureMagazine that there are many clues to guide you. By reading the soil, Gallagher discovered that all of his treasure is often contained in one layer. So, getting to know the earth’s layers will definitely help with your success!

Soil Indicators of Buried Treasure

Pure colored sand and dirt usually means an area is undisturbed. However, variations in the soil like circles, dots and layers of multicolored soil indicate the opposite—people may have buried treasure here. Detectorists who are on the hunt for old dump sites and privy pits read the land and soil in search of old trash. An old piece of glass can signal a dump site below. The top layer of trash usually contains nails, tin cans, and old household items—which a metal detector will quickly locate.

Where is the Treasure Layer?

Gallagher suggests digging a few test holes in the area you’re getting a signal. “Get a good look at a cross section of topsoil, and try to find the treasure layer. In a fort site nearby, I found a thin black line below many layers of soil. It was chock full of buttons, coins and musket balls. Concentrate on finding the “Pay” dirt layer to maximize your finds.” Instead of spending hours sifting through all of the layers, find the good layer where most of the treasures have settled. Another tip is to treasure hunt where industrial digging is going on. Ditches and trenches are great places to search because the treasure layer may now be uncovered.

It’s all about detecting in the most productive way possible. If you develop your ability to read the soil, you will find the MOST amount of treasure in the least time possible!

When it comes to metal detecting for relics, you need to know where to look and also have the right metal detector.

There is no shortage of locations that are ripe for the picking of long forgotten remnants of the past (a.k.a ‘relics’). Just bring along your metal detector and let the excitement begin! Among the hot spots to locate relics are deserted or abandoned buildings. Anywhere people once lived will yield treasure that can be located by a metal detector. Many times you will find rooms in abandoned homes that were left just as they were when they were lived in decades ago.

Detecting for relics is different than searching for gold or coins. Old houses and buildings can present hobbyists with a tremendous amount of junk iron and nails. For these sites, using a small amount of discrimination will prove highly beneficial. You don’t want to use too much discrimination so as to reject valuable targets. Daniel Bernzweig of MetalDetector.com advises “If you’re using a detector that has a visual target display, rely heavily on it to identify your targets. Correlate the audio and visual signals before making a decision to dig a target.” Recommended reading for relic hunters is What are the Best Metal Detectors for Finding Relics?

Discrimination and Target Identification are valuable, time-saving features on metal detectors. But experts advise against overlooking all targets that indicate aluminum or other “junk.” Your target may look or sound like a pull tab, foil, bottle cap, nail or tin; however, this can be deceiving. The fact is—old aluminum pull tabs have a similar ring tone as gold. It would be very unfortunate to pass up a gold or silver ring because you’re discriminating out potential junk.

“Dig Up Everything” is the Mantra of Many Detectorists

Discrimination blocks your detector’s response from targets you choose to eliminate. This is helpful for coin hunters, but not so much for relic hunters. Relic hunters usually err on the safe side by digging up anything that’s made of metal. Detectorist and author Dick Stout says, “Gold and aluminum are so close in conductivity, it’s virtually impossible to reject one target without rejecting the other.” So, consider what treasure you’re after. For relics and jewelry, your discrimination setting should be very LOW.

Target Identification – Audio is Just as Important as Visual

Target Identification has gotten sophisticated on all of the latest metal detectors. And many models claim they can precisely identify what you’ve found. Further, there are some advanced detectors that actually show you a visual of what’s underfoot! Target ID will show you whether your target is a copper penny (minted before 1982) or a zinc penny. It will distinguish between clad coins, silver, gold and other metals. Sophisticated detectors like theWhites Spectra VX3 will tell you the target you’ve found (nickel, quarter, gold, silver), but there is still overlap between pull tabs and gold. Get to know your detector’s audio tones, because this will help tremendously in distinguishing treasure from trash!

One of the artifacts recovered from the Confederate Gen. John Hunt Morgan’s raid site in Ohio.

In Carroll County, Ohio, a group of 80 hopeful treasure hunters gathered to unearth Civil War relics. Well-knownOhio detectoristSam Waters organized the hunt after she learned of a Confederate raid in Carroll County. Waters, a passionate relic hunter, has been detecting since the age of 12. She researched the event and learned: in the summer of 1863, Confederate Gen. John Hunt Morgan led his cavalry on a 1,000-mile raid through Indiana and Ohio. The cavalry stole 2,500 horses and raided 4,375 homes. Morgan’s men fought with pursuing Union cavalry throughout Carroll County. Waters got permission from property owners to search the area.

Waters’ group scoured 500 acres with metal detectors; and in just three days, uncovered more than 200 items! Some of the treasure hunters were kids (joined by their parents). The group ranged in age from 8 to 75. Also joining the team was Josh Silva, one of the stars of the TV show “Dig Wars!” Waters estimated that approximately half of the recovered items may be Civil War related. One intriguing find was a Confederate stirrup. She added, “The stuff we found was all over—scattered around the woods, fields and valley.” The metal detectorists worked with and gained permission from the Carroll County Historical Society. The society also owns an acre of land tied to the raid.

Want to Detect for Historical Artifacts?

Are you intrigued by history and finding artifacts from the past? If so, dig in with a relic-hunting metal detector! These units are specifically designed for unearthing relics which are usually made of iron, steel or brass and sometimes sometimes gold or silver. Relic hunting detectors are different than all-purpose and coin-hunting models. They specialize in ground balance control and ground adjust so you can filter out interference from other minerals. They also use lower frequencies and offer high sensitivity and pinpointing abilities. Many of these units have target identification, which will display the type of metal you have located.

Quality is key when hunting for relics. Here are some great detector choices for all budgets:

Learn more about this metal detecting find and your own found treasures in this helpful article.

It’s exciting when you actually dig up a metal treasure, but frequently you don’t even know what it is – especially if you’ve found a relic! It probably looks ancient and valuable, but what is it? Experts advise not to tamper with your target too much before you know what it is. For instance, don’t scrub dirt off abrasively or use soap and water right off the bat. There are hundreds of metal detecting experts and communities who can help you identify items.

The Art of Identifying Treasures

When you find your first artifacts, you obviously want to know what they are! Before you know how to clean your find, you need to identify it. Ask a fellow detectorist for help. There are other resources, as well. Many museums have identification facilities. Check to see if any museums in your area offer this service. Another great reason to visit a museum is you will see tons of artifacts and be able to relate items when you make your own discoveries. Antique stores and coin dealers are also very useful to detectorists. They can help you identify finds; dealers often publish coin lists which you will likely reference often. Metal detecting books and magazines are beneficial to most detecting hobbyists. For example, experts recommend the book, “Whitman’s Official Red Book: A Guide Book of United States Coins” for identifying coins.MetalDetector.com offers a huge selection of metal detecting books, magazines and videos. You can find a book specifically geared towards Civil War relics, if that is your niche. Treasure Hunting magazines typically publish a monthly “Question & Answer” section in which readers’ finds are identified by experts. By the way, if you do buy metal detecting magazine, save them for your archive. It’s a great way to build up your own reference library.

Ask Mark Parker- Magazine Q & A Example

The metal detecting magazine Western & Eastern Treasures features a monthly column called “Ask Mark Parker.” Relic and coin expert Mark Parker selects photos from hobbyists interested in identifying their finds. He researches each find and provides detailed insight as to what it is, as well as its estimated value. One reader dug up an old brass lock in Colorado engraved “St. Louis” on both sides. He was interested in any information about his find.

Mark Parker’s response, “Your warded padlock dates from the early 1900s, and although there are no maker’s marks, the style is very similar to that of locks made by the E. T. Fraim Co. of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. As for the “St. Louis” name, it’s been suggested that this is one of a number of locks issued to cash in on the enormous interest and enthusiasm surrounding the St. Louis World’s Fair, or Louisiana Purchase Exposition, held in 1904. It’s a fairly common but collectable little item, usually retailing around $20.”

Identifying your treasure is among the most exciting aspects of metal detecting. For more information,check out MetalDetector.com’sLearning Library. Read about these related topics:

Cast members of the new TV show “Rebel Gold” from the Discovery Channel sporting their metal detectors.

A recent surge in TV series’ featuring the real-life hobby of treasure hunting is creating intrigue about this pastime. The fact that there are literally millions of dollars in gold coins, treasure caches and artifacts buried in U.S. soil in enough to pique anyone’s interest. Discovery Channel premiered a new series in September called “Rebel Gold.” The show followed an experienced group of treasure hunters who joined forces to retrace Jefferson Davis’ trail—searching for clues that would lead them to the legendary lost Confederate gold. An estimated $20 million in gold and silver disappeared at the end of the Civil War while Jefferson Davis and Confederate troops fled from Richmond, Virginia.

Diggers TV show co-hosts KG & Ringy metal detecting. Click photo & see Garrett metal detector models, just like they use on the show.

National Geographic Channel brings their own brand of excitement with “Diggers,” which has already aired four seasons of reality metal detecting. The “Diggers” TV duo—Tim Saylor and George Wyant—are Montana natives and extreme detectorists. Viewers get to follow these two detectorists throughout the countryside while they hunt for artifacts from infamous outlaws (such as Bonnie & Clyde), war battles, Wild West gunfights and historical American events. These are ethically conscious hobbyists who request permission to hunt on private property and donate historically relevant relics to towns and museums. What’s really interesting about both of these TV series is that the shows’ treasure hunters do this as a hobby…they all have other jobs and careers. There’s no misguided beliefs that you can quit your job and become a treasure hunter. Nevertheless, a treasure hunter can get lucky and unearth a treasure cache worth millions. We’ve seen it in the headlines!

Why are Relic Hunters Passionate about this Hobby?

When people talk about relics, they are referring to “traces of the past.” Battlefield relics are one popular category, with relic hunters searching for artifacts from the Revolutionary War and Civil War. Many Civil War battles and skirmishes took places in the southern United States, so these are common search sites. You’ll notice these well-known battlegrounds being scoured by the “Diggers” and the “Rebel Gold” team. But war relics aren’t the only relics to be found. Old coins, tokens, jewelry and medallions are highly sought after, as well as antique toys and bottles. “Diggers’” Tim Saylor says, “We usually look for old coins because that’s our favorite thing to find, but it’s always the other weird items that come out of the ground—guns, rings, unique jewelry, tools, and so on—that are the most interesting and surprising.” And sometimes, a relic hunter will find “The Big One!” Just a few years back in England, a metal-detecting buff was exploring a field near his home when he unearthed a lead container filled with silver coins and jewelry. The coins dated back to Viking rulers of the region, more than 1,000 years ago!

Equipment to Get Started Relic Hunting with a Metal Detector

It’s important to use the right type of metal detector if you’re searching specifically for relics. This is because most relics are made of iron, steel or brass. Also, a lot of valuable relics are found in highly mineralized soil. If you were using a detector for coins, it would discriminate most of these metals out. Relic-hunting metal detectors are designed to use lower frequencies that respond well to iron, steel and brass; and they’re deep-seeking. Many relic metal detectors feature ground mineral displays, ground cancellation and target identification. Here are a few high-quality detectors suggested for relic hunting: